Self employed
Cancer and the self employed
About 4.8 million people in the UK are self-employed. Running your own business can be very rewarding. But a cancer diagnosis can be especially worrying if you work this way.
If you are self-employed and living with cancer, you might be worried about money and work. Being told you have cancer can be a difficult time if you have your own business, but there is help available.
If you have been diagnosed with cancer and you are self-employed, you may need to think about:
- taking time off work for treatment
- making decisions about your business
- talking to your clients about your work if you have to take time off.
"The financial worries came a little bit later after the initial shell shock of being diagnosed. I am self-employed so this has been a little harder to navigate, and Macmillan have really helped. To this day Macmillan are still there." Saima, diagnosed with lung cancer in 2018.
Further help and information
We have further information on this website about self employment and cancer. It covers questions you may have including:
- How will cancer affect my business?
- How do I make decisions about my business?
- What benefits am I entitled to?
- Other forms of financial support
- What are my rights if I am self-employed?
- How will cancer affect my feelings about work?
- Where can I find support?
Booklets and resources
If you run a small business
Supporting an employee affected by cancer can be tough, especially when you run a small business. You may be worried about how it will impact your team and the day-to-day running of the business. You can find out about your legal responsibilities as well as ways of supporting your employees through cancer or a bereavement using our small business tool here.
You may also find our employer information pages helpful.
How we can help